Stud type rocker arm mounting



Aug. 3, 1965 F. w. BALL STUD TYPE ROCKER ARM MOUNTING Filed Feb. 21, 1964 I NVEN TOR. fizz?! ZZZ 5x222 HTTOR Y United States Patent 3,198,183 STUD TYPE ROQKER ARM MUUNTING Frank W. Ball, Lansing, Mich, assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Delaware Filed Feb. 21, 1%4, Ser. No. 346,439 3 Ciaims. (CI. 123-90) This invention relates to valve mechanisms for internal combustion engines, and particularly to stud type mounting means for the rocker arms thereof.

A problem inherent in stud type rocker mountings is that of preventing rotation of the rocker about the stud, as would enable disengagement of the rocker with the valve and push rod or other actuating member. One arrangement heretofore used has been to key the rocker to the valve stem. Other methods have included keying the push rod to the rockersuitable means being provided to prevent tilting of the push rod in a plane transverse to the rocker, and employing rockers with downwardly depending skirt portions which slidably engage fixed projections on the engine. By employing rockers with part-cylindrical journaling surfaces at their fulcrums and part-cylindrical bearing members on the studs, relative rotation between the rocker and bearing member is prevented but there is still need for provision to prevent relative rotation of the bearing member about the stud.

I have successfully overcome the aforementioned difiiculties in a new and economical manner by arranging such stud mounted rockers in spaced side-by-side relation and interconnecting their respective bearing members so as to prevent their rotation on the studs. My improved arrangement is well adapted to rockers of the upwardly presenting, generally channel shape, and requires no sliding engagement between extending portions of the rocker and the cylinder head or other fixed part of the engine.

The invention will be more clearly understood from the following description of one illustrative embodiment, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a transverse sectional view through the valve rocker section of an internal combustion engine constructed in accordance with my invention.

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary elevational view taken in the direction of the arrows 2-2 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken generally along the line 33 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is an exploded view of a rocker and its associated mounting parts, in perspective.

The engine parts shown in FIGURES 1-3 include a cylinder head 1 whose upper portion is enclosed by a rocker cover 2. A conventional poppet valve stem 3 is slidably guided for reciprocation in the cylinder head and is biased upwardly by the usual valve return spring 4 acting between the cylinder head and a washer 5 secured to the upper end of the stem. Extending through the cylinder head on the opposite side thereof from the valve is a push rod 6, and mounted intermediate the push rod and valve for transmitting reciprocal motion from one to the other is a valve rocker 7. As shown in FIGURES 2 and 3, a second rocker 7' is located in spaced side-by-side relation with the rocker 7 and similarly transmits reciprocal motion between a valve and push rod similar to those shown at 3 and 6 in FIGURE 1.

The rocker is best shown in FIGURE 4 as being generally hollow and open upwardly, with an aperture 9 extending therethrough in the line of thrust at the fulcrum intermediate its ends. Surrounding and extending from each side of the aperture 9 on each rocker is a partcylindrical journaling surface 10. Associated with each rocker is a part-cylindrical bearing member 11 which conforms to and engages the rocker journaling surfaces 1t 3,198,183 Patented Aug. 3, 1965 and extending through the bearing member is an opening 12 opposite the aperture 9 in the rocker. The cylinder head 1 forms a support for a pair of anchoring members or studs 13, which extend through the respective rocker apertures and bearing member openings. These studs may be secured in the cylinder head in any suitable manner as by a pressed fit in holes 14 provided therefor, or by threaded engagement in the holes 14 as shown.

At their upper ends the studs are also preferably threaded as at 15 and carry nuts 16. The extension of these nuts laterally of the studs is sufficient to overlie the bearing members 11, so that the nuts thereby take the thrust reaction imposed on these bearing members by the rockers in operation. In order to insure against rotation of the bearing members and rockers about the studs a retainer member 17 is provided. This is shown in the form of a stamping which extends between the two studs and has portions 18 and 19 which underlie the nuts 16 and are clamped thereby against the bearing members 11. Each portion 18 and 19 has a pair of tongues 18', 19' which engage respective recesses 20 in the bearing members 11. Thus it will be seen that the retainer member 17 cooperates with the studs and the bearing members 11 in mutually restraining the latter from rotating about the studs. Since the part-cylindrical bearing surface engagement between the rockers and bearing members 11 prevent their relative rotation, the rockers are likewise restrained from rotation about the studs.

Although only one illustrative embodiment of the invention has been described, various changes in the parts and their arrangement will readily suggest themselves without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. In combination, a pair of valve rockers in spaced side-by-side relation, each having a part-cylindrical journaling surface intermediate its ends, each said surface having an aperture extending through the rocker, a pair of bearings for said rockers, each said bearing having a partcylindrical surface conforming to and engaging said journaling surface of its associated rocker, each said bearing having an opening extending therethrough opposite said aperture of its associate rocker, a support disposed oppositely of the rockers from said bearings, a pair of members secured to said support and extending respectively through said apertures and openings, each said member having means extending laterally thereof and overlying the bearing of its associated rocker, and a retainer having portions in interengaging relation with each of said bearings and secured thereto by said means.

2. In combination, a pair of valve rockers in spaced side-by-side relation, each having a part-cylindrical journaling surface, a pair of part-cylindrical bearings respectively conforming to and engaging said journaling surfaces, a pair of studs respectively extending through said rockers and bearing members, support means for said studs, said rockers and bearing members having openings for extension of said studs therethrough and accommodating rotation of said rockers and bearing members about the axes of the respective studs, a member secured to both said studs and having a connection with each of said bearing members preventing its rotation about the axis of its associated stud, and means securing said member to said studs.

3. In combination, a pair of rockers in spaced side-byside relation, each said rocker having an aperture extending therethrough in the thrust direction at its fulcrum and having a part-cylindrical journaling surface on each side of said aperture, a pair of bearing members for said rockers, each having an opening extending therethrough opposite said aperture in its associated rocker, a cylindrical bearing surface on each side of said opening co'nforming to and engaging one of the respective journaling surfaces of its associated rocker, and a recess eccentrically of said opening, a pair of studs extending through the apertures and openings of said respective rockers and bearing members, support vmeans forsaid studs, each of said studs having threads on its extended end adjacent'its assoeiated bearing member and a nut engaging said threads, and a member secured to o ne of said 'stud'slby its associated nut and having tonguesextendinginto the respective recesses of both said bearing members.

BROUGHTON G. DURHAM, Primary Examiner.

MILTON KAUFMAN, Examiner. 

1. IN COMBINATION, A PAIR OF VALVE ROCKERS IN SPACED SIDE-BY-SIDE RELATION, EACH HAVING A PART-CYLINDERICAL JOURNALING SURFACE INTERMEDIATE ITS ENDS, EACH SAID SURFACE HAVING AND APERTURE EXTENDING THROUGH THE ROCKER, A PAIR OF BEARINGS FOR SAID ROCKERS, EACH SAID BEARING HAVING A PARTCYLINDRICAL SURFACE CONFORMING TO AND ENGAGING SAID JOURNALING SURFACE OF ITS ASSOCIATED ROCKER, EACH SAID BEARING HAVING AN OPENING EXTENDING THERETHROUGH OPPOSITE SAID APERTURE OF ITS ASSOCIATE ROCKER, A SUPPORT DISPOSED OPPOSITELY OF THE ROCKERS FROM SAID BEARINGS, A PAIR OF 